Missouri town of 35 gives OK to medical marijuana

One tiny Missouri town has passed a resolution legalizing medical marijuana. Cliff Village, with a population of around 35, saw its voters approve physician-prescribed use and growth of the drug earlier this month. But supporters say the ordinance primarily seeks to show support for legalization on a broader scale, with state law prohibiting medical marijuana use and federal law enforcement agencies raiding medical marijuana establishments even in states where its use is legalized. “It’s not Kansas City, (but) it still shows that people on the community level usually want this,” said Allen St. Pierre of the National Organization to Reform Marijuana Laws. (Encarta map)

“This is symbolism, pure and simple,” said Mayor Joe Blundell, who says that marijuana has helped ease pain he suffers following a train accident which left him in a wheelchair. “I would like to be the brave one who grows the first plant, but they’ve built a lot of cages for the people who stick their necks out.” He says that his high profile has led him to quit smoking pot, he said that his use was not recreational: “I’m not just stoning myself out. It allowed me to function.” But "skeptics say research is slim to support its medicinal benefits and call it a ruse for the partying crowd," writes Scott Canon in The Kansas City Star. (Read more)